Republicans file resolution calling to make Chicago the 51st state

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WEEK) — Three Illinois Republicans have filed a House resolution calling for Chicago to become the 51st state.

HR101, filed by Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville), Rep. Chris Miller (R-Robinson) and Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) calls on the United States Congress to separate the city of Chicago from the rest of Illinois.

Halbrook told his hometown paper his reason for filing the resolution was the “show the disconnect” between the northeast corner of Illinois and the rest of the state.

The resolution cites perceived political differences between the state’s largest city and the rest of Illinois, such as policies on gun ownership, abortion, immigration, and other issues.

Historically, Republican statewide candidates carry more of the state’s total geographic area, though Democrats usually fare better in more population-dense regions.

The resolution cites previous attempts to divvy up the state, such as a 1981 bill to split Cook County from the rest of the state, and the tongue-in-cheek “Republic of Forgottonia” in western Illinois in the late 1960s and early 1970s, meant to draw attention to disparities in funding for projects in the state’s western counties.